Asia

Grab: From business-school project to game-changer in Southeast Asia
4May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, Singapore

Grab: From business-school project to game-changer in Southeast Asia

Ride-hailing app brings financial security to drivers and new technology to region SINGAPORE -- In Malaysia, taxi drivers not using meters were once a common sight. And women, fearful of possible assaults, avoided riding alone in taxis. Seeking to transform the taxi industry in their home country, Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling founded the ride-hailing app Grab in 2012. In the eight years since then, Grab has grown into a leading provider of social infrastructure in roughly 340 cities across eight countries in Southeast Asia. The two began developing a plan to start a business when they were students at Harvard Business School. Their idea for a ride-hailing app, for which they found inspiration from a lecture on balancing the pursuit of corporate profits with social contributions,...
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Southeast Asia’s private equity investment slows in 2019, outlook gloomy
4May By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

Southeast Asia’s private equity investment slows in 2019, outlook gloomy

Private equity investment in Southeast Asia declined to US$12 billion last year after reaching a record high of $14 billion in 2017, with COVID-19 posing a risk to investment this year, a global consulting firm says. According to “Southeast Asia Private Equity Report” published by Bain & Company, last year’s private equity investment in Southeast Asia was driven by the internet and technology sector, which represented over 60 percent of all deals, especially in Indonesia. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recession in 2020 will challenge private equity investment this year as investors look for ways to protect their investments and reemerge stronger after the crisis, the report said. “In preparation for this period, general partners are looking at the global finan...
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